We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

(The following post is by guest contributor Mark Alspaugh,
Arkansas State Director, Convention of States Project)

The Convention Of States Project

Your visit to this website suggests that your political viewpoint reflects a centrist or conservative perspective. If so, please read on. Here you can learn what every citizen like you can do to help rein in our out-of-control federal government and restore our Constitutional liberties.

In tandem with these problems an aggressive and fundamental transformation of our country is underway, propelling us rapidly toward socialism. Our Constitution and our liberty are in grave danger at the hands of an out-of-control Washington political establishment. Both major parties are complicit. As Thomas Jefferson said, ” When all government …in little as in great things… shall be drawn to Washington as the center of all power; it ….will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated.”

Electing different people will not, by itself, produce better government nor change policy outcomes. Washington will never voluntarily relinquish meaningful power and its perks, no matter who is elected. Intervention by a political force outside Washington is critical if we are to keep the federal government from bankrupting this nation, embezzling the states’ legitimate authority, and completely destroying the people’s liberty.

Our governing document, the U.S. Constitution, gives the people the rightful, lawful means to rein in Washington, recover our Constitutional rights and, especially, to impose binding restraints on the federal government. The Constitution’s Article V states:

The Congress,…. on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments,…. which…. shall be valid as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof,..[as]… may be proposed by the Congress….

The Convention of States Project has now been launched and will work through grassroots teams in some 40 states. Its unique method of addressing the problem will urge state legislatures to make proper use of Article V by calling for a Convention of States on a single subject: reining in the power of the federal government and restoring our Constitutional liberties. The process, including suggested legislative language, is explained in the Project Handbook at www.conventionofstates.com.

Those devoted to unlimited federal power are threatened by any suggestion for a Convention of States. Their unfounded scare tactics paint a doomsday scenario of a runaway convention where delegates disregard their original charge and rewrite the Constitution, radically changing the American system of government. Preposterous but frightening.

Here are the facts: A runaway convention has no chance. Prior Article V litigation has established that improper changes to the convention’s stated purpose can be legally prevented. Moreover, a conservative group, Compact for America, has provided details on constructing a legally binding interstate agreement to define the framework of the convention. No provision permits conventions to change rules illegally. Finally, the approval of 38 states is required to ratify any amendment and any proposed amendment can be defeated by the No votes of 13 states. Rationally, the potential for 38 states to approve radical constitutional changes is zero.

The Convention of States will determine topics to be considered. A few examples of what might be considered include:

The Federal Budget

The General Welfare and Commerce Clauses

Term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court

A superior Court of States over the Supreme Court

Limiting de facto law-making by Executive Order/regulation

Replacing federal tax law with simpler and fairer tax law

Prohibiting use of treaties to govern US domestic law

I ask that you consider becoming a part of the Arkansas Team for the Convention of States Project. You may be a supporter of one or more of the other organizations whose information is available on this site. I commend you on that and urge you to continue those affiliations. But you may also want to become associated with this effort. If so, you will be welcomed. Actions you can take include:

American Heritage Resources

The Federalist Papers
The mission of The Federalist Papers Project is to get people the history, government and economics lessons they never got in school and to motivate them to push back at the erosion of our liberties and restore constitutionally limited small government.

Blogroll

Convention of States
Washington D.C. will never voluntarily relinquish its power. Left unchecked, the government will continue to bankrupt this nation and destroy the liberty of the people. It is time for citizens and the States to act and we have the solution.